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Program

At When Words Collide you will find presentations, discussions,
readings, and signings by each year's festivals guests and additional
attending experts in the literary arena: authors, editors, artists,
poets, playwrights, and others involved in creating the written
word. If you have ideas for topics you would like to see, please let
us know at: info@whenwordscollide.org.

Confirmed Presenters / Panelists

Elena AitkenElena Aitken is the USA Today
Bestselling Author of more than twenty-five romance novels including
the bestselling Castle Mountain Lodge and The Springs
series. A true romantic at heart, Elena's books feature strong women
and the equally tough men who rise to the challenge of creating a
deserving "happily ever after." From sweet to spicy and everything in
between, Elena's books will make you believe in love. Connect with
Elena at www.elenaaitken.com

Jayne BarnardJayne Barnard, best known among
Steampunks as Madame Saffron Hemlock, the mind behind Parasol Dueling,
is the author of many short crime stories set in this and alternate
universes. Accolades include a Debut Dagger (UK) and Arthur Award
(Canadian) finalist, a Bony Pete, and a Saskatchewan Writers Guild
award, as well as local and regional fiction prizes. Her Steampunk
crime caper, The Evil Eye of Africa, comes out in August 2015
from Tyche Books. Look for more about Jayne’s work at Jayne Barnard
Author. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jayne-Barnard-Author/466822683406124

Ella BeaumontElla Beaumont is the Acquisitions
Editor at EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing and is partly to
blame for the company’s recent expansion into the terra incognita of
e-book first publishing. The new EDGE-Lite program celebrated its
first release this past June. Over the last two years, Ella has been
running a weekly writing productivity group known as Write Club that
is open to all writers at all skill levels. She claims that her
motivation for organising Write Club is purely selfish as she feels
she writes better in a room filled with the sound of clicking
keys. calgarywriteclub.weebly.com/about.html

Aviva Bel'HaroldCalgary, Alberta author Aviva
Bel'Harold is currently celebrating the release of her latest novel
Blood Matters (published by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy
Publishing). She has a loyal, ever growing following, and spreads her
time between raising a family, 6 puppies, writing, signing books,
talking to kids at schools, and being featured as a guest speaker for
a variety of groups.
Life is good. However this was not always the case...
The fact that Aviva even graduated from high school seemed like a
miracle in many ways. Aviva was born with various learning
disabilities, including severe dyslexia. She wasn’t able to read
until she was 10 and to this day she continues to struggle with with
it. Even now, writing a quick email can be challenging. The thought
of ever becoming an author seemed impossible. However the Universe
had other plans…www.avivabelharold.ca
@AvivaTheAuthorwww.facebook.com/AvivaBelHarold
Instagram: aviva_the_author

Ron BenderRon Bender is a native Calgarian, with past experience as an international business consultant. Currently, he is working with a local MAKER group. Ron has thirty-seven years of RPG experience. He runs and designs games that focus on that forum as a tool for interactive storytelling. His longest campaign ran for seven consecutive years. Using RPG experience as a framework, Ron began writing novels. His completed works include; two historical fantasies and three cyberpunk novels. Ron likes to relax by chatting over the occasional pint of beer, tracking trends and advanced technologies, and researching obscure time periods.

Shawn L. BirdShawn L. Bird is a high school English
teacher and librarian, an author, and a poet in the beautiful
Shuswap region of British Columbia. She is also a Graduate student
in the Faculty of Education at University of British Columbia
exploring passion-based learning. She has published the YA novel series
Grace Awakening and several books of poetry. She posts a new
poem daily at www.shawnbird.com blog.
She is represented by literary agent Amy Tompkins of Transatlantic
Agency.

Susan BohnetSusan Bohnet has an Associate Degree in
Arts and Letters with a major in psychology from Ricks College, and a
Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Human Resource Development
from Brigham Young University. She lives in Alberta with her husband,
five children, and a cute (but rather naughty) Yorkshire terrier. She
has written a newspaper column called Family Frenzi for 19
years and has had two short stories published. Her first novel, My
Life as a Troll, was published by Five Rivers Publishing in 2014
and she is looking forward to the release of her second novel, a
collaboration with K. L. Webster titled Lethal Influence, which
is being published by Edge in the near future.
You can follow Susan through her website at www.susanbohnet.com, on twitter,
or through her Facebook page My Life as a Troll.

Kate BoormanKate A. Boorman was born in Nepal, grew
up in the small town of Rimbey, and now lives in Edmonton where she
writes and wrangles her family. Kate has a MA in Dramatic Critical
Theory and has been writing for fun and profit for the past ten
years. She is the author of the WINTERKILL trilogy
(Abrams/Amulet), a young adult alternate history series set on the
spooky prairies of North America. WINTERKILL was named a Best
Bet YA by the Ontario Library Association, and it is currently a
finalist in the Alberta Readers’ Choice Awards. Its sequel,
DARKTHAW, releases this October. Visit Kate at www.kateaboorman.com

Michelle BrowneMichelle Browne is a sci fi/fantasy
writer and cross-genre editor from Calgary, AB. She has a cat and a
partner-in-crime. Her days revolve around freelance editing, jewelry,
phuquerie, and nightmares. She is currently working on the next books
in her series, other people's manuscripts, and drinking as much tea as
humanly possible.

Scott BurtnessScott Burtness' first novel,
Wisconsin Vamp, was released in early 2014. The sequel,
Northwoods Wolfman, was released in July 2015. The third book
in the Monsters in the Midwest series is due for release in
mid-2016. His work can also be found in the upcoming Scarecrow
anthology from World Weaver Press. Scott lives in Minnesota with his
wonderful wife and their boxer-pitt mix in a house that’s just the
right size for the three of them. To learn more about Scott, follow
him on Twitter (@SWBauthor), find him on Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/SWBauthor) or
Facebook (www.facebook.com/SWBauthor).

Susan CalderSusan Calder is the author of Deadly
Fall (TouchWood Editions), a murder mystery novel set in Calgary. Her
short stories have won contests and been published in numerous
magazines. She teaches fiction writing courses at the Alexandra
Writers Centre Society and is the Prairie Region Vice President for
the Crime Writers of Canada. In her non-writing time, Susan loves
travel and hiking. www.susancalder.com.

Tammy Lyn CarbolTammy Lyn Carbol has been a member
of Alberta Romance Writers Association (ARWA) since 2000. In her
spare time she is a belly dance teacher and performer. www.tammylyncarbol.com

CJ CarmichaelHard to imagine a more glamorous life
than being an accountant, however C.J. Carmichael gave up her
C. A. designation after the publication of her first romance with
Harlequin in 1999. Since then she has written more than 40 romance,
romantic suspense, and romantic mystery novels, two of which were
nominated for RITAs by the Romance Writers of America. C. J. has also
been nominated for career achievement awards by RT Book Club for her
work in series romance and romantic suspense.
C.J. is a founding author of Tule Publishing where she is currently
publishing her Carrigans of the Circle C ranch stories. She is
also working on a trilogy of Twisted Cedar Mysteries, with the third
and final book to be released later in 2015.
When she isn’t writing, C.J. loves to be out hiking, cross-country
skiing or biking, either in the Rocky Mountain near Calgary, or around
Flathead Lake, Montana where she and her partner Mike, and her two
adult daughters, have a cottage.
For more details visit C.J.’s website at: cjcarmichael.com.

Kristi CharishKristi is the author of OWL AND
THE JAPANESE CIRCUS (Simon and Schuster Canada/Pocket Books), an
urban fantasy about a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly
navigates the hidden supernatural world. She writes what she loves;
adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists,
pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the
mix. The second installment in the Owl series, OWL AND THE CITY OF
ANGELS, is scheduled for release Oct 5th 2015. THE VOODOO
KILLINGS, book 1 in her second urban fantasy series, KINCAID
STRANGE (Random House Canada), about a voodoo practitioner living
in Seattle, is scheduled for release mid 2016.
Kristi is also a co-host for the popular Adventures in Sci-Fi
Publishing Podcast and also has a PhD in Zoology from the University
of British Columbia. She is represented by Carolyn Forde at Westwood
Creative Artists.
Twitter: @kristicharish
FB: http:/www.facebook.comKristiCharishAuthor
Website: http://www.kristicharish.com
AISFP Podcast: http://www.adventuresinscifipublishing.com

Dwayne ClaydenDwayne Clayden is a Paramedic with
over 37 years in Emergency Services. A former police officer, Tactical
Paramedic, and EMS Chief, he is an international speaker at EMS
conferences and has published four textbooks for paramedics. He is a
popular speaker at Calgary crime-writing events. Dwayne’s first novel
manuscript, Crisis Point, was a finalist for the 2015 Crime
Writers of Canada’s Unhanged Arthur Award. His short story, Hell
Hath no Fury is published in the anthology AB Negative. He
is a member of the Alberta Writers Guild, Calgary Crime Writers and
Crime Writers of Canada.

David B. CoeDavid B. Coe/D.B. Jackson is the award
winning author of more than eighteen novels and many short stories. As
David B. Coe (www.DavidBCoe.com) he has written
the Crawford award-winning LonTobyn Chronicle, the Winds of
the Forelands quintet, the Blood of the Southlands trilogy,
and the novelization of Ridley Scott’s ROBIN HOOD, and will soon
release, SPELL BLIND, the first volume of the Case Files of Justis
Fearsson. The second book, HIS FATHER’S EYES, will be out next
summer. Writing as D.B. Jackson (www.dbjackson-author.com),
he is the author of the Thieftaker Chronicles —
THIEFTAKER, THIEVES' QUARRY, A PLUNDER OF SOULS, and DEAD MAN'S REACH,
which is also due out in summer 2015. David is part of the Magical
Words group blog (magicalwords.net), and co-author
of How To Write Magical Words: A Writer’s Companion. His books
have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Jessica CorraJessica is an American writer and
editor living in Canada with her Scottish husband. She is a former
acquisitions editor for Samhain Publishing, and her work is
represented by The Bradford Agency. Jessica is a huge fan of cats and
snowflakes.

Cheryl CottreauCheryl Cottreau is a “writer and a
poet and a mystic and a muse”. She published her first work Whisper
of a Vision in May 2013 and is working on two other books at this
time. She has been journaling since she first had her first “little
red book” when she was ten. She feels that journalling has been one
of her greatest tools in her path of self-discovery. She blogs
regularly on her website www.cherylcottreau.com.

Diana CranstounScottish born Diana Cranstoun has
made Calgary her home for the last 25 years. A past president of the
Alberta Romance Writers' Association (ARWA) she has had several short
stories broadcast on CBC Radio and two feature-length movie scripts
optioned. http://dianacranstoun.com

Karen CrosbyKaren has loved language from an early
age, drawn to how it is paradoxically precise and fluid. She’ll tell
you that English is full of potential and poetry and power—and yes, it
matters where the apostrophes and commas go! She graduated with a BA
with Distinction in 1992 and moved to Japan, where she worked as a
teacher, created ESL courses, supervised English content in a
bilingual magazine, edited bilingual novels, consulted, and wrote a
weekly newspaper column. She founded Documedic Editing Solutions, now
Editarians, in 2002. Since that time she has assisted hundreds of
clients, honing their documents such that they convey powerfully and
precisely—and perhaps even poetically—what was intended. She looks
forward to collaborating with clients for years to come.

B. C. DeeksB.C. Deeks writes heartwarming mysteries
laced with a bit of romance, a little family and, often a wink of
magic, including The Holly &
The Ivy (Frost Family & Friends series) and Witch in the Wind (Bandit
Creek Sweet series). She has published articles in industry trade
publications, such as Writers Market, and is an award-winning
technical writer, all under the name Brenda M. Collins.
Born and raised in Newfoundland, an island off the east coast of
Canada, Brenda now lives in Alberta, Canada. For upcoming titles,
visit www.bcdeeks.com.

Craig DilouieCraig DiLouie is the author of nine
novels, including Suffer the Children, Crash Dive, The Alchemists,
The Retreat, The Infection, The Killing Floor, Tooth and Nail, The
Great Planet Robbery, and Paranoia. He blogs about writing
and the horror genre regularly at www.craigdilouie.com.

Adam DreeceIn 2014, Adam Dreece ended 25 years of
writing short stories for himself. He put aside a memoir covering his
conquering terrible scar pain and being hit with severe asthma, and
started in a new direction. His debut novel, /Along Came a Wolf
/launched his Calgary Herald and Amazon bestselling series, The Yellow
Hoods, and was quickly followed up with book 2 in the series,
Breadcrumb Trail that has been called "a powerhouse of young
adult fiction."
Adam’s a devoted husband and father of three great kids. Though
driven, he ensures there is always time for his family, fans, and
fellow authors. With his tween daughter as his muse and the first to
hear the rough drafts, it’s no surprise that he’s a huge proponent of
strong female characters, something evident in The Yellow
Hoods.adamdreece.com
Blog: AdamDreece.com
Twitter: @AdamDreece

Zoey DuncanZoey Duncan is an author, journalist,
roller derby athlete, speaker and joke-writer.
In 2015, Zoey published her first book. The Department: A Surgeon's
Memories... Before I Forget was co-written with Dr. Norman
Schachar and tells his funny stories of the Department of Surgery at
the University of Calgary. Zoey’s also a writing and humour coach with
ZEDS. She gets her clients out of the writing dead zone they fall into
when going it alone, saving them time and sanity. Her laughter to
tears ratio in the office is very good.

Claire EamerClaire Eamer writes factual books about
science and history for kids, as well as extremely non-factual stories
for kids and adults. She has also written the manuscript for a picture
book (but someone else is drawing the pictures, you’ll be glad to
hear). She lives on Gabriola Island, BC, and likes watching sea lions
and otters. Well, who wouldn’t?

Caterina EdwardsCaterina Edwards is the
award-winning author of six books, each in a different genre. Her last
one, Finding Rosa, was a memoir and her new one, The Sicilian
Wife, is a literary noir. She was born in England and grew up
primarily in Calgary. She has been a writer in residence at the University
of Alberta and Grant MacEwan University and has taught creative writing
for almost every post-secondary institution in Edmonton, where she
lives. Her first novel was translated into French and her memoir into
Italian.

Makenzi FiskMakenzi Fisk grew up in a small town in
Northwestern Ontario. She spent much of her youth outdoors, surrounded
by the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield. Moving west, she
became a police officer with patrol, communications and forensic
experience before transitioning to graphic design. She now works for
herself.
In her stories, Makenzi draws on her knowledge of policing and
technology, as well as her love of the outdoors. She creates vivid
worlds where crime and intuition blend, where competent women are main
characters.
Currently Makenzi is working on the third book in her mystery-thriller
Intuition Series. She is an ARWA member.Just Intuition published May 2014Burning Intuition published January 2015
Website: makenzifisk.com
Email: makenzifisk@gmail.com

Sandra FitzpatrickSandra Fitzpatrick is bilingual
in financial and English. She's been helping artists, writers, actors
and other Creative People with their taxes, both Cdn and US since
2006. Many have not known the deductions available as self-employed
people and she does several seminars each year to bring this
information and more on the basics of financial planning to them. New
this year is "Financial Sh*t for Creative People."
She has been writing fantasy and science fiction for over ten years
and is a long time member of IFWA. A collection of Whimsical Tales is
coming out this fall under Lee F. Patrick.

Susan ForestThree-time Prix Aurora Award finalist
and winner of The Galaxy Project, juried by Robert Silverberg,
David Drake and Barry Malzberg, Susan Forest is a writer of science
fiction, fantasy and horror, and a fiction editor for Edge Press. You
can find her stories in Analog, Asimov's, OnSpec, Blood and Water,
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Tesseracts, AE Science Fiction Review,
and The Urban Green Man, or in her collection, Immunity to
Strange Tales (Five Rivers Press). www.speculative-fiction.ca.

Ron S. FriedmanRON S. FRIEDMAN’s short stories have
appeared in Galaxy’s Edge (edited by Mike Resnick), Daily
Science Fiction, Not Just Rockets And Robots, Age Of Certainty,
and received Honorable Mentions in Writers of the Future Contest in
2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Ron is Co-editing Enigma Front
anthology, release date – August 2015.
Winner of the 2013 Aurora Awards – Fan Related category, Ron appeared
as a panelist at When Words Collide, Con-version, Calgary Comic &
Entertainment Expo and VCON.
Ron is on the board of directors of the Canadian Science-Fiction and
Fantasy Association, When Words Collide festival, and he is an active
SFCanada and IFWA member.
Ron, is currently working on his second novel. Since 2002 he is living
with his loving wife and two children in Calgary, Alberta.

Barb Galler-SmithBarb Galler-Smith loves short
stories with an emotional punch. She's a Fiction Editor at On Spec:
The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic, a long-time member of
Edmonton's largest speculative fiction writers group, The Cult of
Pain, and with Ann Marston co-founded a critique group for emerging
speculative fiction writers loving called "The Scruffies". She has
written historical fantasy, science fiction, contemporary romantic
comedy, and horror. She has also committed Costuming at various
WorldCon Masquerades and won ribbons.

Barbara GeigerDue to circumstances beyond her
control, Barbara was born and raised in the desert of speculative
fiction wasteland of northern Alberta by non-writing folk. She ran
away and joined the Cult of Pain writing group in Edmonton, the
Imaginative Fiction Writers Association in Calgary, and now writes
solo in Lethbridge. Her short stories earned her an Honourable Mention
in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror the same year she sold her first
vampire erotica, and she’s been dabbling in selkies, Fae Lords, sex
demons and troll hearts. When she is not mucking about in smut that
pays the bills, she writes epic fantasy and makes the occasional foray
into science fiction and horror.

Nowick GrayNowick Gray’s historical mystery of the
Arctic, Hunter’s Daughter, was released by Five Rivers in March
2015. His writing spans genres ranging from magic realism and
speculative fiction to creative nonfiction. Nowick’s stories and
essays have appeared in a wide variety of periodicals and anthologies,
including Cream City Review, Xizquil, Fugue, The Animist, Elephant
Journal, Probe Post, NeWest Review, Inside Essays 2, and
CVII. He was a featured author for Wattpad’s Memoir Month (June
2014). Based in Victoria, BC, Nowick also works as a professional
freelance copyeditor. http://nowickgray.com

Jacqueline GuestInternational award winning author
of seventeen novels, Jacqueline Guest has stood on an iceberg, flown a
kite in a hurricane and worn bedroom slippers in Parliament all in the
name of research. Topics for her fast paced books range from deadly
video games to helpful ghosts and everything in between!

Janet GurtlerJanet Gurtler currently has six YA
books published by Sourcebooks, including bestselling and Rita Award
Finalist novel, I’M NOT HER and her 2015 release, THE TRUTH ABOUT US.
Janet Gurtler's young adult books have been chosen as JUNIOR LIBRARY
GUILD SELECTION and as BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS from the Canadian
Children’s Book Center. Foreign rights for four of her books were
recently sold to Turkey.
Janet was also published by Capstone Press in 2015, with a six book
series called The Mermaid Kingdom. Janet lives and writes from her
home in Okotoks Alberta. When she isn’t writing, she can be found in
liquor stores all over Calgary dusting off wine bottles. Find out
more about Janet at www.janet-gurtler.com.

Richard HarrisonAuthor of 6 books of poetry,
co-author of Secret Identity Reader, essays on superheroes, and
the co-editor of the essay collection Now is the Winter: Thinking
About Hockey, Richard Harrison is a citizen of three literary
worlds -- or rather of the literary lands that cross the boundaries of
pop culture and high art, of creativity and criticism. Richard teaches
English and Creative Writing at Mount Royal University, and has spoken
at the San Diego Comic-Con as well as the Hockey Hall of Fame and
Calgary's WordFest. This is his fourth visit to When Words Collide.

Amber HaywardAmber Hayward is the author of a
trilogy of speculative fiction novels, the Children of the Panther
series, released by Edge Press. Her short fiction and poetry have
appeared in Canadian and international periodicals including Daily
Science Fiction and On Spec. In 2011, she wrote a flash fiction piece
each day for a year and posted them on her website, www.amberhayward.ca. Many of
the stories were mysteries. Amber is presently working on the second
novel of a mystery series. She is one of the owners of the Black Cat
Guest Ranch near Jasper, Alberta and teaches writing workshops there
and in the nearby community of Hinton.

Faye Reineberg HoltA Calgarian and author of 12
books plus many stories and essays, Faye has also co-authored a travel
book and edited a literary magazine plus three other books--including
a biography for a self-publishing client. As well, she frequently
offers feedback on manuscripts-in-progress. Happy to share her
extensive experience in writing and publishing, she has facilitated
many writing workshop and, currently, she teaches an online life
writing course for Mount Royal University Continuing Education. She
has blogged and rethought blogging and social media, but she is always
serious about researching true stories from western Canada's past. In
addition to being a long-time member of national, provincial and local
writing groups, she has twice been a writer in residence. Invited as a
reader and workshop instructor for all grades and ages at countless
schools, libraries and community centres, she welcomes questions and
comments both about her subjects and the writing process. www.wordsandhistory.ca

R.J. HoreAfter winning a Canadian Authors national
contest with a ghostly tale, he connected with Champagne Books to
complete The Dark Lady high fantasy trilogy, now joined by The Queen’s
Pawn trilogy. The fantasy detective genre is represented by a series
of six novellas: The Housetrap Chronicles. His latest novel, blending
modern with Dark Age, Alex in Wanderland, arrived this spring.
In his spare time he reviews genre novels for an on-line magazine and
is a member of several writing groups.
Ron lives in Winnipeg with his understanding wife and a demanding
cat. On rare occasions he escapes to his sailboat on Lake
Winnipeg. Follow Ron at: www.ronaldhore.com and www.facebook.com/RonaldJHore

Axel HowertonAxel Howerton is the author of the darkly funny detective novel Hot Sinatra, and a finalist for the 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. His short fiction and essays have appeared all over hell's half-acre, under various nom de plumes and assumed identities. He is the editor of the books Death By Drive-In, Tall Tales of the Weird West and AB Negative. Axel is a member of the CSFFA, Calgary Crime Writers, The Kintsugi Poets, and is currently serving on the board of the Crime Writers of Canada. He is the organizer behind Calgary's NoirBarYYC events, and he is the owner and publisher of Coffin Hop Press. Axel spends most of his time roaming the untamed prairies of Alberta with his two brilliant young sons and a wife that is way out of his league. Find him at www.axelhow.com.

Caralee HubbellCaralee Hubbell is a book coach,
editor and writer. She is the president of the Calgary Association of
Freelance Editors. Caralee has experience in-house (Bloomsbury
Publishing) as well as in the magazine world (WHERE magazine). She
has worked with authors of young adult fiction, campus fiction, urban
fantasy/sci-fi, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, short
stories, novel series, and academic and literary works, as well as a
variety of non-fiction projects (e.g. film, cooking, fashion, and
travel). Caralee has taught the Copyediting and Proofreading course in
the Professional Editing Extension Certificate program at Mount Royal
University, and she has been an Editor in Residence for Wordfest for
the past two years. When Caralee is not coaching or working on her own
YA novel, you can find her pinning and tweeting about writing,
fashion, style, and travel; hiking in the mountains, taking in a yoga
class, or walking around lovely inner city Calgary where she resides.
calgaryeditors.com/caralee-hubbell.

Jessica JacksonJessice is ARWA’s current
president. She’s been a member for about three years. Jessica says,
“ARWA helps me maintain focus and I get ideas and learn craft
skills. I participate in the Writing challenge Groups which gives me
feedback on my current projects."
Jessica has published three novellas, a collection for short stories,
five novels over 100,000 words each and recently completed her third
novel in the Look Behind You series for Ellora's Cave Publishing. www.jessicaleolajackson.com

Danielle L. JensenDanielle was born and raised in
Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she
graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s
degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been
mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an
entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal
University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the
right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination. She is the
author of the acclaimed Malediction Trilogy: Stolen Songbird,
Hidden Huntress, and the forthcoming Warrior Witch (Angry
Robot Books). www.danielleljensen.com

Calvin JimBorn in French Canada to a Japanese
mother and Chinese father, Calvin D. Jim has spent his life going in
several directions at once: writer, editor, IFWit, lawyer, gamer-geek,
movie-lover, dad. He is a Prix Aurora Award nominated co-editor of
Shanghai Steam, the Steampunk-Wuxia anthology. His stories have
appeared in Rigor Amortis, Crossed Genre Quarterly and the
Tomorrow anthology. His latest story, The Trials of
Li-Wen, is in the Enigma Front anthology launching at the
WWC. Calvin lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife, two kids, and an
ever-expanding army of meeples. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter:
@CalvinJim

Sarah KadesSarah Kades is an American-Canadian
author of romantic fiction where nature, humour and love meet. She
spent over a decade as an archaeologist and now lives in Calgary,
Canada with her family. http://www.sarahkades.com

KaiA half-mad, time-travelling, demon-hunting,
half-Frost Giant with a geeky love for Shakespeare and Pokemon, Kai is
known online as The Raggedy Author and can usually be found on Twitter,
avoiding responsibility. She is an independent author, and currently
writes whatever genre tickles her fancy. Kai is also in the middle of The
Raggedy Author's Year of the Zombie, and more information about it can be
found on her website. www.theraggedyauthor.com

David KangDavid Kang is an English undergraduate
student at the University of Calgary and a part-time vlogger. He began
vlogging on his “Booktube” channel, LitJournal, in the summer of 2014
and it has grown to an audience of over three thousand
subscribers. His channel focuses on engaging viewers with book
discussions and book reviews from all sorts of genres of
fiction. David is a strong advocate for supporting new and upcoming
authors. When he is not in school or filming for his channel, David
spends most of his time writing and reading.

Constantine KaoukakisConstantine's interests
include comic books (Marvel & DC), Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Harry
Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Greek mythology, Doctor
Who, British murder mysteries, British history, ancient history, and
literature. He has degrees in education, English and Classics which
have enabled him to teach Latin, ancient and modern Greek, ESL,
English literature, ancient Greek and Roman literature at the high
school, college and university levels: Concordia University
(Montreal), Queen's University and other minor colleges. Not only is
he a former member of the Bimetallic Question-the Sherlock Holmes
Society of Montreal, but he also founded The Wisteria Lodgers-the
Sherlock Holmes Society of Edmonton. Constantine also likes to dabble
in mystery fiction. Furthermore, he is an editor for OnSpec magazine
as well as the new Sleuth magazine: sleuthmagazine.ca

J.Y.T. KennedyJ. Y. T. Kennedy (Jennifer) is an
eclectic writer and storyteller. Most of her published work falls
somewhere in the speculative fiction category. Her stories have
appeared in Neo Opsis and Edge's Danse Macabre
anthology. She has published one fantasy novel, Dominion, and
her current novel in progress is also a fantasy. She enjoys not just
building worlds, but puzzling through the ways in which characters try
to define their reality. She has a website at sites.google.com/site/jytkennedy

Stacey KondlaStacey Kondla is a life-long book nerd
and averages reading 10 -15 books per month in her spare time. She was
fortunate to have spent 10 years working for Scholastic Book Fairs to
promote the love of reading in children and young adults. Currently,
Stacey manages the IndigoKids department at a local Chapters store and
is an active member of When Words Collide's organizing
committee. Stacey also is a member of Bookcrossing and promotes the
love of reading to the public at large by releasing books into the
wild to find new readers.

Kate LarkingKate Larking is the trade book buyer for the University of Calgary
Bookstore. A University of Calgary graduate with a degree in Marketing and
minor in English, she loves keeping on top of the newest book industry
marketing trends. Off hours, between binge-watching anime and leveling-up
game characters, she writes speculative fiction for both YA and adult
markets. She cofounded AnxietyInk.com, a community of writers dealing with
the stress and challenges of writing, as well as ArtIsMyBusiness.com, a
venture focusing on creating successful artists by uniting creative work and
business.

Adria LaycraftAdria is an author and freelance
editor in Calgary that once upon a time earned Honours in
Journalism. She co-edited the popular Urban Green Man anthology
in 2013, which made the ballot for the Aurora Awards. Look for her
stories in Orson Scott Card's IGMS, the Third Flatiron
anthologies Abbreviated Epics and Only Disconnect,
FAE and Corvidae anthologies, Tesseracts 16,
Neo-opsis, On-Spec, James Gunn's Ad Astra, and Hypersonic Tales,
and many others. Adria is a grateful member of IFWA (The Imaginative
Fiction Writers Association) and a proud survivor of the Odyssey
Writers Workshop. She is also a member of the Calgary Association of
Freelance Editors (CAFÉ).

Fonda LeeFonda Lee is a science fiction and fantasy
author. Her debut novel, Zeroboxer, a 2015 Junior Library
Guild selection, is a high-action young adult sci-fi about a young
man battling to make it to the top in the world of zero gravity
prizefighting amid brewing interplanetary conflict between Earth and
Mars. Fonda is a recovering corporate strategist, an avid martial
artist, a fan of smart action movies, and an Eggs Benedict
enthusiast. Born and raised in Calgary, she now lives in Portland,
Oregon. You can find Fonda at www.fondalee.com> and on Twitter
@fondajlee.

Mark Leslie LefebvreMark Leslie Lefebvre’s passion
for writing and love of reading led him to the book industry. He sold
his first short story in 1992 was the same year Mark sold his first
short story, and his most recent books (under the name Mark Leslie)
include Haunted Hamilton and Spooky Sudbury, two
non-fiction books on the paranormal published by Dundurn. A hybrid
author, Mark self-published his first book One Hand Screaming,
a collection of previously published short fiction, in 2004, back when
no self-respecting author would even venture in that territory, and he
continues to firmly embrace both indie and traditional
publishing.
Mark is the Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations at Kobo.
Photo by John Robbie.

Alison LohansRegina author Alison Lohans has
published 26 books for young people with Canadian and international
publishers. Many of her books have appeared on "notable" lists, and
have been shortlisted for international, national and provincial
awards. Leaving Mr. Humphries (Your Nickel’s Worth) is among
the candidates for the 2015 Shining Willow Award, and was a finalist
for the children’s literature category of the 2014 High Plains Book
Awards, and the 2014 Saskatchewan Book Awards. This Land We Call
Home (Pearson, New Zealand) won the 2008 Saskatchewan Book Award
for YA. A new version of No Place for Kids was released last
year in Heritage House’s Wandering Fox imprint. Alison served as
Writer in Residence at Regina Public Library in 2002-2003. She has
given hundreds of readings at schools, libraries, and conferences
across Canada, and was awarded the 2012 YWCA Woman of Distinction
Award for her contributions to the arts.

Jillian LongJillian Long has been captivated by
stories for as long as she can remember! She graduated from the
University of Calgary in 2010, with a BFA in Drama. She is the
coordinator for social media for Alberta Romance Writers Association,
and has recently completed her first novel. You can follow her on
twitter @JillianRLong or visit her website at jillianlong.ca.

Nicole LuikenNicole Luiken wrote her first book at
age 13 and never stopped. She is the author of ten published books for
young adults, including Violet Eyes and its sequels. Her latest
release is YA fantasy Through Fire & Sea from Entangled
Teen. Nicole also sidelines as an editor specializing in Story
Structure.
Nicole lives with her family in Edmonton, AB. It is physically
impossible for her to go more than three days in a row without
writing. www.nicoleluiken.com

Ed LukowichEd Lukowich of Calgary is the author of
the new sci-fi futuristic novel entitled The Trillionist (under
his pen name Sagan Jeffries) which was published by Edge Science
Fiction and Fantasy Publishing in October of 2013. Ed’s new book for
2014 entitled Trillion Years Universe Theory, is a newly released
cosmology theory which rivals the Big Bang Theory depicting how our
universe began. Ed is a former World Curling Champion and Olympian who
has reinvented himself into a sci-fi author. During his curling
career, Ed authored four books on the sport of curling.www.trillionist.com

Susan MacGregorSusan J. MacGregor is the author of
The Tattooed Witch trilogy, published through Five Rivers
Publishing. All three books, The Tattooed Witch, The Tattooed
Seer, and The Tattooed Queen (forthcoming 2016) are
historical fantasies set in a world reminiscent of 16th century Spain
and the New World. Her non-fiction book, The ABC’s of How Not to
Write Speculative Fiction is based on her 20+ years’ experience as
a fiction editor with On Spec Magazine. She has edited two
anthologies, Tesseracts Fifteen: A Case of Quite Curious Tales
(Edge Books) and Divine Realms (Ravenstone Books). Her blog,
Suzenyms, http:/suzenyms.blogspot.ca
features many posts on the writing and editing process. Susan lives in
Edmonton.

Lily MacKenzieLily Iona MacKenzie sprouted on the
Canadian prairies under cumulous clouds that bloomed everywhere in
Alberta’s big sky. They were her first creative writing instructors,
scudding across the heavenly blue, constantly changing shape: one
minute an elephant, bruised and brooding. The next morphing into a
rabbit or a castle. She has published reviews, interviews, short
fiction, poetry, travel pieces, essays, and memoir in over 145
American and Canadian venues. Fling, one of her novels, was
published in July 2015 by Pen-L Publishing. Bone Songs, another
novel, will be published in the spring of 2016. Her poetry collection
All This was published in 2011. She teaches writing at the
University of San Francisco. Visit her blog: http://lilyionamackenzie.wordpress.com

Arlene MarksBorn and raised in Toronto, Arlene
F. Marks found her muse at the age of 6, and she has been writing and
sharing her stories ever since. Most recently, she is the author of
From First Word to Last: The Craft of Writing Popular Fiction
(2013), Literacy: Made for All (2014), and two novels -- No
Pain, No Gaine (2015), and The Accidental God (2014), which
was nominated for the 2015 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Her SF
novel Sic Transit Terra #1:The Genius Asylum, will be coming
out in January 2016 from EDGE Publishing. Visit her at her website:
www.thewritersnest.ca.

Shirlee Smith MathesonResearch, writing, and reading tours take Shirlee Smith Matheson across North America to schools, libraries and museums, and into the homes and hangars of aviation heroes whose stories are found in her 20 published books. Her collection of aviation stories related in Flying the Frontiers Vols. I, II, and III, and Amazing Flights & Flyers, recall true tales of adventure and misadventure. Maverick in the Sky brings to life the amazing story of Calgary’s WWI flying ace, Freddie McCall. A Royal Balance - the Life and times of Hal Wyatt, was released in December 2013. Her latest nonfiction book, Lost: Unsolved Mysteries of Canadian Aviation, will appeal to readers of all ages.
Historical young adult novels include Flying Ghosts and The Gambler’s Daughter, set in Canada’s North. Fastback Beach is a contemporary “hi-lo” novel that catapults readers into the world of hot-rod cars. Jailbird Kid features a dramatic story of a girl turning 15 the day her dad is being released from prison, and former award-winning young adult novels, Prairie Pictures and City Pictures, have received dynamic updates for new releases in 2014/2015. Again, adventure, misadventure and risk are featured, backed by the necessary research work required for all stories to ring true.
Shirlee currently resides with her family in Calgary, where she was employed for a number of years at the Aero Space Museum. She welcomes inquiries regarding her literary work. http://ssmatheson.ca

Randy McCharlesRandy McCharles is active in
Calgary, Alberta's writing community with a focus on speculative
fiction, usually of the wickedly humorous variety, with short stories
and novellas available from Edge SF&F Publishing, House of Anansi, and
Reality Skimming Press. He is the recipient of several Aurora Awards
(Canada's most prestigious award for speculative fiction) and is
short-listed in three categories for the upcoming 2014 Awards. In
2013, his short story Ghost-B-Gone Incorporated won the House of
Anansi 7-day Ghost Story Contest. Randy's first Tyche Books
publication, Much Ado About Macbeth, will be available in August 2015.
www.RandyMcCharles.com.

Jodi McIsaacJodi McIsaac is the author of the
bestselling fantasy series The Thin Veil and the forthcoming thriller,
A CURE FOR MADNESS (January 2016). She is currently writing a
historical series spanning several centuries of Irish history. Jodi
grew up on the East Coast but now lives in Calgary with her husband,
cat, and two feisty daughters. www.jodimcisaac.com

G.J.C. McKitrickG.J.C. McKitrick lives in Sherwood
Park, Alberta, with his wife. In 2012 he began the awkward and
painful transition between being a mainstream fiction writer and
becoming a science fiction nerd. Remnants of his literary past can be
read in his Novel, A Walk in the Thai Sun. The future will be
revealed in the publication of Planet Song, first book in the Fahr
Trilogy, probably in late 2015 or early 2016. Other aspects of the
transition, like video game obsession and wearing costumes at SF
conventions are proving to be more difficult.

Jane Ann McLachlanJane Ann McLachlan is the
Canadian author of two college textbooks on Professional Ethics,
(Pearson/Prentice Hall) and a short story collection, Connections:
Parables for Today, (Pandora Press). But speculative fiction is her
first love, the genre she’s been reading all her life. Her first
science fiction novel, Walls of Wind, an alien world novel, was
published in January 2014, and her young adult science fiction novel,
The Occasional Diamond Thief, was published as an ebook on Amazon in
December, 2014 and in print in 2015 by EDGE Science Fiction and
Fantasy Publishing. She’s represented by Carrie Prostritto at
Prospect Agency. Visit her website: http://www.janeannmclachlan.com

Kirk MilesIn June of 2009 Kirk Miles won the
Writers Guild of Alberta Screenwriters Award for a screenplay entitled
Shadow Maker. Author of three books of poetry the most recent
Hotel on the Cliffs on the Heartq was published in May of
2013. In 2011 Kirk won the Golden Beret Award, a lifetime achievement
award in poetry presented by the Calgary International Spoken Word
Festival. Moving Dust, a manuscript of poems about the
Holocaust will be published in the summer of 2015 He has been
nominated twice for the Calgary Poet Laureate Position and last year
he was short-listed.

Joanne MorcomJoanne Morcom is the author of two
poetry collections and the co-author of two poetry anthologies. She
specializes in haiku and related forms, such as the five line tanka.
She's a founding member of the Calgary based Magpie Haiku & Tanka
Poets, a member of Haiku Canada, Tanka Canada and the Independent
Publishers Association of Canada. She's also a social worker and a
certified laughter yoga leader, which means that she laughs for no
reason and teaches others to do the same. A poem of Joanne's recently
placed first in the 2015 Alberta 55 Plus Creative Writing Games.
Visit her at www.joannemorcom.ca.

Nina MunteanuNina Munteanu is a Canadian ecologist,
short story author and novelist, with works translated into several
languages. Recognition for her work includes the Midwest Book Review
Readers’ Choice Award, the SLF Fountain Award, The Delta Optimist
Reviewers Choice Award and finalist for Foreword Magazine’s Book of
the Year.
Nina teaches writing at the University of Toronto and George Brown
College and coaches writers to publication (www.ninamunteanu.me). Her
award-nominated textbook The Fiction Writer is used in colleges and
universities throughout North America and Europe. She also writes for
Amazing Stories and is an editor for Europa SF.
For more information about Nina visit www.NinaMunteanu.ca.

Shenaaz NanjiShenaaz is a squid who lives in the water world when not reading or writing. She grew up in East Africa amid a fusion of cultures: Bantu Swahili, colonial British and East Indian. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children from Vermont College.
Her publications include nine books: fiction and non-fiction picture books, short stories, and a novel. Her young adult novel was a finalist in the Governor General Award for Children’s Literature and a Notable Book for a Global Society.
Shenaaz is keen to share her experiences of ‘What goes on behind the scenes of writing?”

Janet NicolsonJanet Nicolson was born in
Saskatchewan and has lived in the ice and cold ever since. She
currently works as a technical writer for a telecommunications
firm. When she's not writing, she's rocking video games or searching
bookstores for novels about Big Dumb Objects. Her work has appeared in
On Spec (Fall 2014) and Tesseracts 18: Wrestling With
Gods (April 2015).

Avery OliveAvery Olive doesn't kiss and tell. Except when it comes to writing. She lives in Red Deer, Alberta, where she spends way too much time reading, writing and avoiding house work.
She's the author of the young adult novel, A Stiff Kiss, a morbid twist on a classic fairytale, in reverse, and Won't Let Go, involving an amnesic ghostboy who just won't move on.
For a change of pace, check out Avery’s latest release, Capturing the Muse, written under the pseudonym Madison Avery. A collection of steamy erotic-laced short stories, where writers find out just how far they are willing to go to gain back their creativity.
You can find Avery, and her counterpart, Madison, on many social media sites like Facebook, Twitter (@AveryOlive), Tumblr, Goodreads and on her website, www.averyolive.blogspot.com, which is currently under construction.

Al OniaAl Onia is a geophysicist living in Calgary,
Canada. His debut novel Javenny was released by Bundoran Press
in August 2014. His short fiction has appeared in Ares, Perihelion SF,
On Spec, The Speculative Edge, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, Spinetingler,
Marion Zimmer Bradley and the anthologies Casserole Diplomacy,
Body-Smith 401, North of Infinity and Warrior Wisewoman 3. Al is a
two-time Aurora Award finalist in the short story category. You can
visit Al at: http://ajonia.com

Martin ParnellAt the age of twenty-one, Martin
immigrated to Canada in order to pursue a career as a mining
engineer. During a career break, taken after the death of his first
wife, Martin began participating in marathons and other endurance
events.
Whilst touring Africa, Martin realised how sport and play can impact
the lives of children. This led him to embark on a series of ten
quests, with the aim of raising one million dollars and helping change
the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children.
He has remarried and currently lives in Alberta. He has three children
and three grandchildren.

Rhonda ParrishRhonda Parrish is driven by a desire
to do All The Things. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief
of Niteblade Magazine for over six years now (which is like 30
years in internet time) and is the editor of several anthologies
including Corvidae, Scarecrow and B is for
Broken. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been in
dozens of publications such as Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada
from Coast to Coast, Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative
Writing (2012) and Mythic Delirium. www.rhondaparrish.com

Sherry PetersSherry Peters is a Certified Life
Coach who works with writers at all stages of their writing career
looking to increase their productivity through pushing past the
self-doubt holding them back. Sherry graduated from the Odyssey
Writing Workshop and earned her M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from
Seton Hill University. Her debut novel Mabel the Lovelorn Dwarf
placed 1st in the 2014 Writer’s Digest Self-Published e-Book Awards in
the YA cantegory. It has also been nominated for a 2015 Aurora
Award. For more information on Sherry or her workshops, visit her
website at sherrypeters.wordpress.com.

Sharon PlumbSharon Plumb Hamilton studied Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan and Simon Fraser University. She has two published books, YA fantasy novel Draco’s Child (Thistledown Press) and picture book Bill Bruin Shovels his Roof (Scholastic). When she is not writing, she creates WordPress websites and teaches people how to make their own. She lives in Regina and is the president of the Saskatchewan chapter of CANSCAIP.

Marie PowellMarie Powell (http://www.mepowell.com) is a Regina-based
author of young adult historical fantasy, including Hawk (Five
Rivers, 2015). She is the author of 30 children's books with such
publishers as Scholastic Canada, Amicus, and Lerner Publications. She
holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing from the
University of British Columbia, and her award-winning short stories
and poetry appear in such literary magazines as subTerrain,
Room, and Transition. Her writing workshops are popular across
Saskatchewan, and she instructs regular free-writing workshop classes
in Regina. She is represented by Naomi Davis of Inklings.

Mahrie G ReidMahrie G. Reid grew up in small
eastern towns. She read copiously and wrote her first novel at age
eight. A minister’s daughter in the the fifties, she was encouraged to
be a nurse, teacher or office worker so she’d have something to ‘fall
back on’ if anything happened to her husband. She tried all three
professions before becoming a Real Estate Appraiser, a newsletter
editor, an adult educator, an office organization consultant, a
library manager and a marriage commissioner, among other things. At
all times she continued to write, read and study and teach novel
writing skills.
Her published works include short stories, poems, trade
articles,technical and research papers and newspaper features. Her
mystery novels, Sheldon Harris Came Home Dead and Katya
Binks Came Home from Away were published in 2014.

Jodie RennerJodie Renner is a freelance fiction
editor and award-winning author of three popular craft-of-writing
guides, Fire up Your Fiction, Captivate Your Readers, and
Writing a Killer Thriller, as well as her Quick Clicks
e-resources for writers and editors. A former teacher and school
librarian, Jodie presents at writers’ conferences across North America
and also judges writers’ contests, including several times for
Writer’s Digest contests.
Jodie has lived in various parts of Canada, mainly BC and Ontario, and
has traveled extensively throughout North America, Europe and the
Middle East. She now lives in Penticton, BC. www.JodieRennerEditing.com,
www.JodieRenner.com

Tim ReynoldsTim Reynolds is a Canadian
‘twistorian’, bending and twisting history into fictional shapes for
fun & entertainment.
His debut novel, the urban fantasy thriller The Broken Shield,
was released in July, 2014 on Amazon as a digital book and in March
2015 in paperback form. It covers over 2000 years of history and shows
that even Lucifer knows "there’s an app for that." His published short
stories range from lighthearted fantasy to
turn-on-the-damned-lights-now horror. The first collection of his
short stories—The Death of God—became available in
2015, both in print and eBook. In 2016 watch for his novel When
Anastasia Laughs from Tyche Books.
He can be found online at www.tgmreynolds.com or
@TGMReynolds on Twitter.

Brock RobertsThanks to a mother who took him to the
library often, Brock Roberts has grown into a lifelong reader of
science fiction and fantasy. His appreciation for stories has spread
on-line to Let's Read, a channel where he rants about all things
bookish. When he's not discussing stories on Youtube, Brock works as a
professional editor making videos for everything else.

Simon RoseSimon Rose is the author of science
fiction and fantasy novels for middle grade and YA readers. His novels
include The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, The
Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic’s Tomb, The Doomsday
Mask, The Time Camera, The Sphere of Septimus, and
Flashback. He is also the author of The Children’s Writer’s
Guide, a contributing author to The Complete Guide to Writing
Science Fiction Volume One, and has written many non-fiction books
for younger readers with Weigl Educational Publishers and
Capstone. Simon is an instructor for adults with the University of
Calgary and Mount Royal University and offers presentations,
workshops, and author in residence programs for schools. He also
offers services for writers of all ages, including editing, coaching,
online workshops and more, full details of which can be found at www.simon-rose.com

Robert RuntéRobert Runté is Senior
Editor at Five Rivers Publishing and an Associate Professor at the
University of Lethbridge. He has edited over 150 zines, and won three
Aurora Awards for his SF criticism; two of the novels he has edited
have also been short listed for the Aurora.

Caroline Russell-KingCaroline is an award winning
playwright, dramaturg and instructor. She has written 30 plays which
have been produced all across Canada. She is a member and past vice
president of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and a member of the
Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Frontenac House is
publishing her new play Palliser Suite in October. www.carolinerussellking.com

Daire St. DenisA New York Times bestselling author,
Daire St. Denis writes smoking hot, contemporary romance where the
pages are steeped in sensuality and there's always a dash of the
unexpected. With twenty published works (six of which are under the
name D.L. Snow) she is a hybrid author who has had been contracted by
numerous publishing houses including Harlequin Romance. Highly
involved in the romance community, Daire served many years on the
board of her local chapter of Romance Writers of America and has
presented at numerous conferences including Romance Writers of America
National Conference, The Calgary Public Library's Writers Weekend and
When Word's Collide. www.dairestdenis.com

SavannaSavanna has been a Booktuber for almost two
years. A graduate of the University of Alberta, she not only
participates in the Youtube book community, but studies it in the
context of reading culture and performance studies. Her channel, The
Pretentious English Major (www.youtube.com/pretentiousem),
focuses mainly on literary fiction and graphic novels, theatre
performancedramatic text (with preference to Edmonton/Alberta),
and a series of discussion videos entitled “Educate Yourself”. Beyond
Booktube, Savanna is a writer, playwright, academic, dramaturge, and
of course, a (pleasantly) raging bibliophile.

Robert J. SawyerRobert J. Sawyer is the author of
Hugo Award-winner Hominids, Nebula Award-winner The Terminal
Experiment, and John W. Campbell Memorial Award-winner
Mindscan, plus Starplex, Frameshift, Factoring Humanity,
Calculating God, Humans, Rollback, and Wake, all of which
were Hugo finalists. Other awards: 2014 Skylark Award; China's Galaxy
Award for "Most Popular Foreign SF Writer;" three Japanese Seiun
Awards; thirteen Canadian Aurora Awards (plus Lifetime Acheivement
Aurora); as well as Analog's Analytical Laboratory Award,
Science Fiction Chronicle's Reader Award, and the Crime Writers
of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award, all for best short-story of the year.
The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the
same name. Website: sfwriter.com.

Judith SilverthorneJudith Silverthorne is a
multiple-award winning Canadian-based author of more than a dozen
books, many of which are children's novels, with one translated into
Japanese, plus a couple of non-fiction biographical adult books, and a
Young Adult novel. Honouring the Buffalo is her first picture
book. She has also written several hundred articles and columns for
newspapers and magazines and worked as a journalist, freelance writer,
editor, evaluator, researcher, curator, book reviewer, scriptwriter,
television documentary producer and arts administrator. She has
presented hundreds of readings and writing workshops at libraries,
schools and other educational institutions given presentations at
conferences. Her first picture book, Honouring the Buffalo, was
released in 2015 and her first historical Young Adult novel,
Convictions, is being published by Coteau Books in Spring 2016.

Anthony StarkAnthony Stark is publisher and CEO of
StarkLight Press. An EMR by trade, Tony uses his spare time to expand
the Galactic Armed Forces science fiction universe through novels,
short stories and artwork.
Though he focuses mainly on science fiction, Tony also writes period
mystery and modern suspense stories that incorporate the supernatural
into the framework of the tales. www.starklightpress.com

Virginia Carraway StarkVirginia started her writing
career with three successful screenplays and went on to write
speculative fiction as well as plays and various blogs. She has
written for several anthologies and three novels as well. Her novel,
Dalton's Daughter is available now through Amazon and
Starklight Press. Detachment's Daughter and Carnival Fun
are coming later this year. www.starklightpress.com

Kay StewartKay Stewart is the author of police
procedurals featuring RCMP Constable Danutia Dranchuk. Unholy Rites,
written with husband Chris Bullock and released in March, is the third
in the series. Kay has also published short stories, personal essays,
and writing textbooks. She taught at the University of Alberta before
moving to Vancouver Island to devote her time to writing. She is
active in the crime-writing community, having served as National Vice
President and President of Crime Writers of Canada and co-chair of
Bloody Words 2011.

Trina St. JeanTrina St. Jean grew up in northern
Alberta, but left in pursuit of degrees in psychology and
education. During a decade out east, she picked up an MFA in Writing
from Vermont College and a poutine addiction. Her first YA novel
Blank, published by Orca Book Publishers in April 2015, tells the
story of fifteen-year-old Jessica's struggle to piece her shattered
life back together after a brain injury. She now teaches ESL in
Calgary and tries to stay out of trouble with her husband and two
daughters. You can pay Trina a visit at http://www.trinastjean.com or like
Author Trina St. Jean on Facebook.

Lorna SuzukiAfter multiple, failed bids at world
domination, Lorna Suzuki was forced to create a fantasy world where
she reigned supreme, until her characters orchestrated a military
coup! She is a 5th degree black belt martial arts instructor with over
30 years experience in this field and a novelist, best known for the
epic adult fantasy series, the Imago Chronicles as well as the YA
fantasy series, The Dream Merchant Saga co-written with her teenaged
daughter, Nia. The first three novels of the Imago Chronicles have
been optioned for a major motion picture trilogy for worldwide
theatrical release with a two-time Oscar-winning producer at the
creative helm. http://www.imagochronicles.com

Patrick SwensonPatrick Swenson's first novel is
entitled The Ultra Thin Man, which appeared from Tor Books in
August 2014. A graduate of Clarion West, he has sold stories to the
anthology Like Water for Quarks, and magazines such as
Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Figment, and
others. He owns Fairwood Press, a small book press, and runs the
Rainforest Writers Village, a writers retreat on the Olympic
Peninsula. A high school teacher for 30 years, he lives in Bonney
Lake, Washington with his 13-year-old son Orion. You'll find more
information at www.patrickswenson.net.

Kevin P ThorntonA six time Arthur Ellis Award
Nominee, Kevin Thornton is a writer for Keyano College and Chair of
his local Arts Council Funding Committee. He has been a soldier, a
contractor for the Canadian Military in Kabul, a newspaper and
magazine columnist, a Director of the Crime Writers of Canada and a
board member of Northword Literary Magazine and the Fort
McMurray Public Library. He writes short stories and poetry that has
metre as its metier. Like everyone else he is working on a novel.
Born in Kenya, Kevin has lived or worked in South Africa, Dubai,
England, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Ontario and now Northern
Alberta. He lives on his wits and his wit, and is doing better than
expected.
He has a not made up his mind about the dangling participle. Having
said that, he might.
He may be found at theoldfortamusingfromtheoilsands.blogspot.ca
and facebook.com/kevin.thornton.165/

Suzy VadoriSuzy Vadori is an executive by day,
Writer by night. Her debut YA novel, The Fountain, is coming
out early 2016. Suzy has been the Program Manager for When Words
Collide (WWC) Children’s, Middle Grade and Young Adult since
2013. Suzy currently lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband and
three kids.

Richard Van CampRichard Van Camp is a proud member
of the Tlicho Dene from Fort Smith, NWT. He publishes in all
genres. His novel, The Lesser Blessed, is now a feature film
with First Generation Films. You can visit him on Facebook, Twitter
and at www.richardvancamp.com. His
new graphic novel is Three Feathers, about restorative justice,
with Portage and Main Press. The artist is Krystal Mateus. He also has
two new books out with Pearson Canada as part of their "Well Aware"
series: Whistle, a novel, and The Blue Raven, a graphic
novel, with Steven Sanderson.

Krista WallaceKrista writes in a closet in Port Coquitlam, BC. She writes mostly Fantasy, and has mucked about with other genres, and short fiction. She has her BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria. Favourite roles include Laura in The Glass Menagerie and Pristine in the Pinchpenny Phantom of the Opera. Cool experiences of Spring 2015 include playing Mrs. Pearce in the Royal City Musical Theatre production of My Fair Lady, and the publication of her story, The Inner Light in Pulp Literature magazine. She loves being Musical Director for musical theatre productions with young people (In the Heights, Urinetown, Mary Poppins, etc.) and sings jazz a lot.

Karin WeekesKarin Weekes is Lead Editor for BioWare
game studios, where she’s edited for Dragon Age: Inquisition, Mass
Effect 3, Dragon Age II, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Mass Effect 2,
Dragon Age: Origins and various Mass Effect and Dragon
Age DLC releases. She’s been a technical editor in Silicon Valley
and has freelance edited written media from short stories to news
pieces to resumes. Karin holds an M.A. in Journalism from Stanford
University and a B.A. in Communication from the University of New
Mexico. She lives in Edmonton, AB, with her husband, Patrick, and
their two school-age sons, who she’s attempting to lead down the dark
path of cosplay.

Patrick WeekesPatrick Weekes is the author of the
Rogues of the Republic series (The Palace Job, The Prophecy Con, and
coming this October, The Paladin Caper), as well as Dragon Age: The
Masked Empire. He joined BioWare's writing team in 2005, and worked on
all three games in the Mass Effect trilogy, as well as Dragon Age:
Inquisition. He lives in Edmonton with his wife Karin, his two
LEGO-and-video-game-obsessed sons, and a significant number of rescued
animals. He enjoys complicated RPG character builds, justifying his
M.A. in English with hyperliterary background content, and unnecessary
musical numbers. www.twitter.com/PatrickWeekes

M. Darusha WehmM. Darusha Wehm is the three-time
Parsec Award shortlisted author of the novels Beautiful Red, Self
Made, Act of Will and The Beauty of Our Weapons. Her most
recent novel, Children of Arkadia (Bundoran Press), is
available everywhere now. Her short fiction has appeared in many
venues, including Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Toasted
Cake and Escape Pod. She is the editor of the crime and
mystery magazine Plan B.
She is originally from Canada but currently lives in Wellington, New
Zealand after spending the past several years traveling at sea on her
sailboat. For more information, visit darusha.ca.

Cassy WelburnCassy Welburn is a poet and
storyteller with a theatre background, who has had her work published
and broadcast. She has been telling stories across Canada (and in
Australia) for the last 25 years. Traditional folktales from around
the world, often learned from her immigrant students, are
favourites. She enjoys telling classics from literature, such as:
Isaac Singer, Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe and Sherlock Holmes adapted
to the oral tradition. Experienced in leading workshops, instructing
and performing. English and sign language.
A published author with her new book of poetry, Changelings just
coming out, she likes to blend poetry and music with the oral
tradition of storytelling. She was Storytellers of Canada’s 2013
Storyteller on Tour with TD Canadian Children’s Book Week, where she
performed her poetry and stories for secondary students and their
families across Ontario schools.
She has performed The Thousand and One Nights, and Women in
Story and Song with musical partners at dinner theatres and
storycafes around Alberta. She gives workshops on storytelling and
writing for students K-12 and college. She is recorded on TALES
Alberta CD’s Call Your Neighbours In and Tales on the
Wind, as well as her own CD, Cassiopeia: Tales from the Night
Tree. Read more about Cassy
Welburn.

Sandra WickhamSandra Wickham lives in Vancouver,
Canada with her husband and two cats. Her friends call her a needle
crafting aficionado, health guru and ninja-in-training. Sandra’s
short stories have appeared in Evolve, Vampires of the New Undead,
Evolve, Vampires of the Future Undead, Chronicles of the Order,
Crossed Genres magazine, LocoThology: Tales of Fantasy & Science
Fiction, The Urban Green Man and Luna Station
Quarterly. She blogs about writing with the Inkpunks, writes a
column for Luna Station Quarterly, is the Fitness Nerd
columnist for the Functional Nerds and slush reads for
Lightspeed Magazine.http://www.sandrawickham.comhttp://www.sandrawickhamfitness.com

Sam WiebeSam Wiebe's debut novel Last of the
Independents won an Arthur Ellis Award, and was nominated for a
second Arthur, a Shamus, and the Kobo Emerging Writer award. Sam's
short fiction has been published in SubTerrain, Thuglit,
Spinetingler, and Criminal Element, among others. He's
currently at work on his follow-up novel. Follow him at @sam_wiebe ,
and at samwiebe.com.

Edward WillettEdward Willett is a writer and editor
from Regina, the author of more than 50 books of fiction and
nonfiction for readers of all ages, both under his own name and under
the pseudonyms E.C. Blake and Lee Arthur Chane. As E.C. Blake, he’s
the author of YA/adult crossover trilogy The Masks of Aygrima for DAW
books, the third book of which, FACES, is out in July 2015. Under his
own name, he’s three books into the five-book YA modern fantasy series
The Shards of Excalibur for Coteau Books. The third book, THE LAKE IN
THE CLOUDS, is out in May, 2015, and the fourth book, THE CAVERN
BENEATH THE SEA, will come out this fall, with the final book to
follow in 2016. This year will also see the release of a new YA
fantasy novel from Rebelight Publishing and FALCON’S EGG, an adult
science fiction novel, from Bundoran Press, a sequel to 2013’s RIGHT
TO KNOW. Ed’s next novel for DAW Books will be a science fiction
novel, THE CITYBORN. On the non-fiction side, Ed has written
everything from GENETICS DEMYSTIFIED (McGraw Hill) to biographies of
J.R.R. Tolkien and Orson Scott Card. Ed also works as an editor,
recently editing two issues of Saskatchewan's venerable literary
magazine GRAIN and the latest edition of SPRING, a magazine
highlighting new authors, both published by the Saskatchewan Writers
Guild. Ed’s work has won a number of awards over the years, including
the Aurora Award for best Canadian science fiction novel for MARSEGURO
(DAW Books) in 2009 and a Saskatchewan Book Award for SPIRIT SINGER in
2003. In addition to being a writer and editor, Ed is a professional
actor and singer who has appeared in numerous plays, musicals and
operas around Saskatchewan.

S G Wong
SG Wong is a hybrid author living in Edmonton, Alberta with her family
and a whole lotta LEGO. She writes noir-tinged, alternate history,
ghost-filled, hard-boiled novels and short stories, featuring Lola
Starke and fictional Crescent City. Her debut novel, DIE ON YOUR FEET,
was shortlisted for a 2014 Arthur Ellis Award for Excellence in
Canadian Crime Writing. She holds a B.A. (Honours) in English
Literature from the University of Alberta. She speaks four
languages—at varying degrees of proficiency—and usually only curses in
one of them. She is a member of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta, Crime
Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime (Toronto Chapter). She has been
a panelist/moderator/presenter at such varied events as Calgary Comics
and Entertainment Expo, PureSpec Science Fiction Festival, Words in 3D
2015 literary conference, Bloody Words XIII mystery convention, and,
of course, When Words Collide. (Twitter: @S_G_Wong; Web: www.sgwong.com; Facebook: SG Wong)